Chest binder



C. A. MULLER CHEST BINDER Filed April 23 Hui mu m E am Z 2 B m% H a;

I Q a.

a Ma L Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHEST BINDER Caroline A. Muller, Minneapolis, Minn. Application April 23, 1949, Serial N 0. 89,259

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a chest garment, belt or bandage which is used to tightly embrace the chest of the wearer in certain ailments or injuries. In cases of pleurisy and other ailments and in cases of broken ribs and other chest injuries, it is desired to bind the chest or to surround the chest with a tight covering. The device is designed for use in hospitals. It has been the prior practice in hospitals to use adhesive tape about the chest when it was desired to tightly bind the chest. This tape is uncomfortable to the patient, is unpleasant to handle and is often irritating to the patient when it is removed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and efficient device which can be quickly placed about the chest of the wearer and tightened as desired, and one which can readily be laundered.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a belt or bandage comprising a rather wide strip adapted to encircle the chest of the wearer, the same having adjustable means for tightening the same and holding it in tightened position, and also preferably having an inner strip of smaller width adapted to be drawn tightly about the chest and which may be disposed under the breasts of a female patient.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a belt or bandage comprising a wide strip of material having a central portion of trapezodial shape with downwardly converging sides, end portions extending from said central portion preferably at a slight angle, said end portions preferably flaring somewhat toward their free ends, said ends being provided respectively with transversely spaced straps and transversely spaced removable buckles by means of which the bandage or belt can be tightened and held in tightened position, together with narrow strips secured to the sides of said central portion preferably at one side of said first mentioned strip, said narrower strips having transversely spaced straps and removable buckles at the free ends thereof respectively for tightening the same and holding the same in tightened condition.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts thoughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a person wearing the device of this invention as seen generally from the front;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1

jacent central portion ifla, the same showing the rear of the person and device, some parts being broken away in both views;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device as seen from the outer side thereof;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a View in side elevation of a portion of the body of the wearer showing the belt in position on the wearer.

Referring to the drawings, a device is shown comprising a wide strip it of strong fabric material. While various materials might be em ployed, in practice strip it has been made of heavy muslin. Strip it has a central portion Eta illustrated as of trapezoidal shape with downwardly converging sides. End portions it?) are attached to portion ifla by seams H and extend away from portion iila with their edges at a slight angle to the top and bottom edges of the portion Ida. While portions 16b could vary somewhat in shape, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated they are shown as -flaring somewhat toward their free ends. A binding of tape [2 extends along the free edge of each portion lilb and one of said free ends is provided with a plurality of transversely spaced straps or tapes 13 which are secured to portion Nib beneath the tape l2. Straps i 3 are of some length and preferably provided with pointed beveled ends. The end of the other portion IEBb is provided with a plurality of transversely extending loops 3 which are secured beneath the tape binding i2. Buckles I5 are carried in the loops i land these buckles have an arm [Ed at one side having a free end so that they can be removed from loops I l. A strip of comparatively narrow tape Std is secured adjacent the tape binding 2 at the outer side of strip it the same being secured at the edges of strip i6 and also being secured to strip I G by spaced stitches Hie. A flap it having a width the same as the width of the strip it at its end is secured to said strip at the same end as the straps 13, the same being of considerable width, as shown in Fig. Flap it may be formed by an integral extension of strip iii. A pair of straps I? are secured to the top of strip is adbeing arranged to diverge slightly and they are provided at their ends with loops Ila. Loops We carry removable buckles it which are similar to the buckles IS. A pair of straps is are secured to the top of strip l0 adjacent the free ends there of, the same being shown as having pointed or beveled ends and these are arranged to cooperate as seen from the inner side with the buckles l8 when straps I! extend over the shoulders of the wearer. Secured to each side of the central portion lfla adjacent the lower edge of strip are strips 20 which are of much less width than strip [9. Strips 20 are of substantially the same length as the portions lilb and the same have tape bindings 2| at their ends beneath which at the end of one strip are secured transversely spaced straps or tapes 22, the same being shown as having beveled or pointed ends. The other strip 20 has loops 23 secured beneath the tape 2| and loops 23 are adapted to receive buckles 24 similar to the buckles l and it. The strip 20 having the loops 23 is extended somewhat to form a flap 25, the same having the same width as the strip 20.

In operation the device isv placed about the chest of the wearer, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the portion iiia at the rear. The same is brought up under the arms as far as possible and the straps i? brought over the shoulders and connected to the straps 19 by means of the buckles IS. The strips 26 are then placed about the chest of the wearer and will be tightened to the desired tension. With some female patients having large breasts it has been a problem to tightly bind the chest. With the present structure strips 20 can be brought around the chest with their upper edges extending beneath the breasts 30 so that a tight enclosure can be had beneath the breasts. The same effect can be had to some degree with a male patient. The strips 26 will be connected and tightened by means of straps 22 and buckles 2B. The strip It is then brought around the body and the breasts 30 of the wearer will be raised and supported by the strip Ii] and this strip will be tightened to the desired amount by drawing the straps l3 through the buckles 15. The flap I6 will extend under the straps 22 and buckles 24 on the strips 20 and flaps Hi will be disposed under the straps i3 and the buckles 15. The straps i3 are tightened to the desired extent and the ends thereof are then reversely bent and passed beneath the tape Kid. The stitches [Us form individual loops or keepers for the straps l3. With the device thus in place on the wearer the chest is Very tightly bound and at the same time the patient is as comfortable as possible. The rear part of the device is smooth and comfortable to the back as the patient lies in bed. When it is desired to remove the belt or bandage it is only necessary to loosen the straps iii in the buckles l5 and to loosen the straps 22 in the buckles 24. When it is desired to launder the device the buckles l5, l8 and 24 can be readily removed from their respective loops and there is then no metal which will interfere with the proper washing and ironing of the device.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a novel, simple and very efiicient belt or bandage for use in binding the chest. It has been especially difficult to get a tight binding about the chest of female patients especially if the breasts are rather large. With the present device the strips it pass up under the breasts and make a tight binding while the outer strip iii lifts and supports the breasts and effects a tight binding about other portions of the chest. The device can be applied to the patient in much less time than the adhesive tape which has formerly been used and the device can be removed quickly and with no discomfort or irritation to the patient. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successful and efiicient and the same is being commercially made. It has been enthusiastically received by the hospitals.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be mad in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A chest binder having in combination, two binding strips, one forming an outer strip of strong fabric material and of appreciable width adapted to extend over the breasts of the wearer and a short distance above and below said breasts, fastening and tightening means at the ends of said outer strip respectively, the other strip forming an inner strip of strong fabric material and having two parts with their adjacent ends positively and permanently secured to the inner side of said outer strip adjacent and at each side of the center thereof respectively, so as to be held in definite positive relation to said outer strip, said parts having free ends with fastening and tightening means at said ends respectively, said inner strip being of much less width than said outer strip, being disposed at the lower portion of said outer strip and being overlaid by said outer strip when the device is in use, said inner strip extending under the breasts of the wearer when said device is in use so that said breasts overlie the same.

2. A chest binder having in combination, two binding stri s, one forming an outer strip of strong fabric material and of a width to extend over the breasts of the wearer and a short distance above and below said breasts, spaced straps secured to one end of said outer strip, buckles secured to the other end of said outer strip with which said straps respectively cooperate to connect said ends and tighten said strip, the other strip forming an inner strip and having two parts with their adjacent ends positively secured to the inner side of said outer strip adjacent the center thereof and held in fixed relation thereto, spaced straps secured to the free end of one of said parts, buckles secured to the free end of the other of said parts with which said last mentioned straps respectively cooperate to connect the ends of said inner strip and to tighten the same, said inner strip being of much less width than said outer strip, being disposed at the lower portion of said outer strip and being overlaid by said outer strip when the device is in use, said inner strip being adapted to extend between the breasts and body of the wearer and said outer strip being adapted to extend over said breasts when said device is in use.

3. A chest binder having in combination, two binding strips, one forming an outer strip of strong fabric material and of a width to extend over the breasts of the wearer and a short distance above and below said breasts, said outer strip having a central portion of substantially trapezoidal shape with downwardly converging sides, side portions extending from said sides respectively outwardly and slightly downwardly and flaring in width toward their free ends, straps and buckles secured to the free ends of said portions respectively for connecting said ends and tightening said strip, said other strip forming an inner strip having two parts positively secured at their inner ends respectively to the inner side of said outer strip substantially at the sides of said central portion, said parts extending outwardly and slightly downwardly from said central portion and having straps and buckles secured at the ends thereof respectively for connecting said latter ends and tightening said inner strip, said inner strip being disposed under the breasts of the wearer and between said breasts and body of the wearer when in use.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2, a pair of straps secured adjacent the top of said outer strip at each side of the center thereof, a second pair of straps secured respectively adjacent the top of said outer strip and adjacent the free ends thereof, one of said pairs of straps having buckles secured to their ends respectively adapted to cooperate with the other pair of straps.

CAROLINE A. MULLER.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Schwenkler Mar. 5, 1912 Southworth June 16, 1914 Wood Mar. 9, 1926 Rosenthal Nov. 8, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Aug. 14, 1905 Germany 1 Nov. 8, 1923 

